1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a laundry product which is a liquid concentrated detergent or fabric conditioner composition packaged within a bottle particularly suitable for dispensing the composition.
2. The Related Art
Ordinarily liquid laundry detergent products are packaged in jugs. This packaging features an aperture defining a handle area. A consumer inserts several fingers into the aperture to grip and manipulate the jug. Illustrative is US patent application 2005/0139568 (Unilever) disclosing a jug with a shrink-sleeve covering extending over a full outer surface, except for the handle area. A spout is fitted within a dispensing opening and coverable by an overcap.
A significant amount of liquid product must be dispensed for each load of laundry. Relatively large size jugs are needed to accommodate some reasonable number of washes per package of product. The large sizes require apertured handles for lifting and manipulation.
A new generation of concentrated liquid laundry products are now entering the marketplace. The same number of laundry loads can be washed with a much smaller volume of liquid. The often unwieldy jugs can now be downsized to smaller bottles. Apertured handles are no longer necessary nor readily engineered into the smaller sizes.
Liquid laundry products packaged in bottles traditionally are marked with adhesively applied local area labels. Information located on these labels include trademarks, advertising, ingredients, weights, UPC symbols, wash instructions among other writings.
A problem arises with concentrated liquids. Therein the actives such as surfactants are present at much higher levels than with non-concentrates. There can be a tendency to smear inks on the label obliterating important information relating to use and safety. Also there may be a tendency for greater residue deposition on outside bottle walls. This arises from the concentrate often being thicker and less flowable. With less water normally present, evaporation is quicker leading to deposition of sticky material on the bottle wall surfaces.
A better approach is needed in the packaging of concentrated liquid laundry or fabric conditioning compositions. Ink integrity needs to be protected and for greater aesthetic appeal errant waste liquid composition must experience greater sheeting from the bottle wall surfaces.